Long-haul trips and sales to Italian destinations are increasing. The Belpaese also conquers the European record for saturation rate of accommodation facilities between New Year’s Eve and Epiphany
With the winter season just starting, Italy is already confirming itself as one of the most sought-after destinations for foreign travellers: the most requested tourist packages range from art to Christmas markets, from the mountains to food and wine. The trend clearly emerges from Enit monitoring: the research, which covers the period from Christmas to the Epiphany, includes 13 foreign markets and numerous tour operators.
Sales rising and long-haul travel booming
During the Christmas holidays, Enit data highlights that sales to our country show a growth of 46.8% of foreign tour operators. The percentage reaches 50% in European Union countries. At the same time, so-called long-haul trips are also increasing: 43.8% of operators report an increase in bookings from long-haul markets, driven above all by the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Asian area. The CEO of Enit SpA, Ivana Jelinic, underlined the rich Italian offer: «The reasons why Italy is chosen for foreigners to spend their holidays are many: art, culture, sea, mountains, mild climate, food and wine, luxury and much more». The Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, also commented on the positive results: «The first data for 2026 make us start the year with a smile and give us the image of an Italy that continues to attract the attention of the world. The end of the year, which confirms that Italy is positioned above the European average, fills us with pride and motivates us to do more and more.”
European primacy
And the analyzes of the Ministry of Tourism also confirm the positive picture: between 30 December 2025 and 7 January 2026, the average saturation rate of Italian accommodation facilities reaches 47.8%. This is an increase of 2.6% compared to last year, during the same period. Our country thus holds the European scepter, placing itself ahead of Spain, France and Greece. Among the Italian regions, Valle d’Aosta leads the way with a saturation rate of up to 66.72%. The autonomous province of Trento is in second place with 66.04% and is followed by Bolzano with 64.35%. The centrality of the activities inherent to winter tourism and the ski season therefore clearly emerges. Outside the Alpine area, demonstrating that demand extends to the entire national territory, Umbria records a saturation rate of 56.03% and Abruzzo reaches 51.5%.
The most requested packages
From the Enit Monitoring it emerges that among the most coveted packages are the “artistic-cultural” ones with Rome, Florence and Venice as the most requested destinations, especially by European tourists. As regards the “mountain and skiing” packages, the choices fall on the Dolomites, the Aosta Valley and Trentino. Austria, Germany and the Asian markets especially prefer them. Overseas travelers, on the other hand, prefer “food and wine” destinations dedicated to the discovery of regional cuisine. Even “smaller villages and towns” arouse a strong attraction in tourists from Canada, the United States and Australia. What European and overseas travelers have in common are the packages on “religious tourism and pilgrimages” and on “Southern Italy”.
